Mayor skips meeting on upgrading of 30 public parks in capital

ISLAMABAD: Mayor of Islamabad Sheikh Ansar Aziz skipped a meeting held at the Ministry of Interior to review progress of work on maintenance and up-gradation of 30 public parks in the federal capital.

The sources said that in light of directives from the Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Progress Review Committee met with Additional Secretary Ministry of Interior in the chair. The meeting was attended by the CDA Chairman Amer Ali Ahmed and other officials of the Ministry, CDA and Municipal Corporation of Islamabad (MCI).

The CDA Chairman Amer Ali Ahmed briefed the meeting regarding upgrading 30 public parks. The CDA chairman who also holds charge of the Chief Commissioner Islamabad, a couple of days back was briefed by Deputy Director (Parks) Akhtar Rasool on the condition of public parks in Islamabad. However, the Deputy Director was suspended by the Islamabad Mayor allegedly for briefing the CDA chairman.

Previously, the Mayor had also reprimanded Director Civic Management Sardar Khan Zimri and Director Streetlights for obeying order of the CDA chairman. The residents of Islamabad while expressing disappointed over performance of the Mayor office in upkeeping natural beauty and flora and fauna of the federal capital have demanded of the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior to take environment wing from MCI and place the same under CDA again.

The meeting held in the Ministry of Interior also discussed giving final shape to partial division of 15 departments between CDA and MCI and also decided to give directions in this connection.

The departments to be partially divided between two bodies include Directorates of Public Relations, Security, Coordination, Human Resource Development, Information Technology, Audit and Accounts, Revenue, Head of Treasury, Maintenance, Lights Division and others. Following division, in all 13, 700 employees would perform duties in MCI while around 5500 employees would be kept in the CDA.